Fighting the Darkness
by Star-Stallion
Summary: SEQUEL to A New Shadow. They think Legolas is dead, but when little Tathiel starts to have nightmares, Aragorn, Gimli, Gandalf, and Thranduil realise that the Prince's fate is worse... much worse...
1. The Beginning of the End

**Ok people, here is the sequel, like, NEARLY 7 MONTHS after A New Shadow!  
  
-^.^- --- *blushes deeply* I'm very sorry...  
  
Right, now just to get this straight, YOU MUST READ A NEW SHADOW BEFORE EVEN ATTEMPTING TO READ THIS ONE. This is set a few days after the events of A.N.S, and that will explain why Aragorn and Gimli are so upset, who Tathiel is, who Saurar is, and also the rather strange predicament that Legolas is in... i.e. being dead...  
  
Yes, the Elf is dead, but like I said, read the first one. That said, I'll start... There is a short poem in here that belongs to ME, so if you want to borrow it for any weird reason... though I don't expect you will... ask first, ok? Be polite...**  
  
.: Chapter One :.

Numbness. Pain. Never ending sorrow. All felt when someone close dies. However, if you had the chance to bring that someone back... Even though it means putting your own life in absolute peril... 

Would you do it? 

There are some who would...  
  
~*~*~*~

_ ~*Too much information...*~ _

They had told Thranduil. 

_~*Too much pain to bear...*~_

And grief had wracked the Elven King's heart every single waking hour. Tathiel had stayed with her father and together they wept, the Elfling in her protector's arms, holding tightly and never wanting to let go. 

_~*Too much hesitation...*~ _

But there was something haunting her dreams as well. It was not customary for Elves to have nightmares, but she kept dreaming of the day Legolas had died... and how he kept calling her from the Halls of Mandos, pleading with her to bring him home. 

_~*When will we get there...?*~ _

She had asked him how. 

_~*Though the road is long and dreary...*~ _

She was given an answer. 

_~*Find something to keep you cheery...*~ _

Maybe grief was sending her over the edge. 

_~*And forever more you'll walk on with a smile...*~_

Or was it something more?  
  
~*~*~*~ 

"Tathiel..." whispered a voice. The child curled up tighter in her bed, scared, yet strangely curious at the same time. 

"Go away Legolas!" she screamed inside her head. "Go away and just leave me alone!" 

"Tathiel... help me..." called the voice again. Legolas' tones were soft and sad. The youngster shook her head. 

"I said leave me alone!" she cried. 

"Tathiel... help me... I need you now..." 

"But I don't know how!" she protested, thrashing wildly in her nightmare. 

"The Shadow Realm, Tathiel... I'm in the Shadow Realm..." 

"You cannot be!" she squealed. There was no way it could happen. Not there... 

"I speak the truth... Tathiel... help me..." he whispered desperately. 

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed aloud. 

Tathiel Greenleaf woke sweating and breathing harshly. She stayed silent for a moment, listening to her own breath, and then broke into uncontrollable sobs. 

It was so unfair... so unfair... 

"I want you to come home. But I want you to leave me alone... please..." 

**Yeah, kinda short, but it DOES get better!!! Trust me! It's just a difficult thing to write... please R&R!**


	2. Darkening Spirit

**Sorry for not updating this in a really long time! =S**

**Estel Elven Enchantress; Yes dear; you're the first reviewer! **

**Lainfaer; Well, I know I took my time... but it wasn't 7 months for this update, was it?! =)**

**Anarya; I take it that you're pleased with this now? helps Anarya polish eyes LOLBERRIES! Right; now I _dare_ you to write a story called Fighting the Squirrel, about LOTR, with Legolas in it... go on, I dare you!!! LOL! I _hate_ clichés... they're so... _clich_... lol!**

**Irish QT; Irish QT, Yoda-Impersonator... hmmm, I guess it has a ring to it, lol! Thanks for reviewing Irish!**

**Amunet; I know! Well, I mean, I know _now_... damn Elves and their names; why can't they be simple?!?! Tathiel's name means 'charity'... yup!**

**Mellaithwen; Oi cheeky!!! =) Ooh, _mothers_... why must we suffer them?!?! They go through the agony of childbirth, we teens go through the agony that can only be described as _nagging_...**

**elfstar54321; Ooh! -.- Thank you! **

**Lexial147; Thanks! **

**Gozilla; Thank you!**

**Kawaii Elf Girl; I should think it DID hurt! =) MWUHAHAHAHAHA!!! Thanks for reviewing though! **

**Kitsune; Thank you! **

**So, now that I'm done with those... the chapter...**

.: Chapter Two :.

Far off in the Shadow Realm, where darkness rules with an iron fist and all flickers of light are erased the moment they are struck, a spirit broke his contact with the Realm of the Living. He did not notice the darker shadow behind him...

"Hey Greenleaf, you're in trouble now!" cackled Dilathnior. She swooped in her ghostly form down to where the spirit was sitting.

"Dilathnior!" moaned Legolas. He was moody and tired after linking, a task that drained most of his limited spirit-energy. He sat, crossed-legged, floating a few feet off the ground. "You know _why_ I'm doing it and _you_ are just jealous."

The girl spirit looked hurt, before her expression returned to a scowl. "Jealous? Of you Greenleaf? Ha!" she spat. "Why would I be jealous of you?! If this little plan of yours goes awry, you'll be spending the rest of your afterlife being tortured by our Master. What's he going to say when he finds out that you've been telling mortals to rescue you?!" she cried.

Legolas laughed heartlessly. One moment he was seated, the next he was standing directly in front of Dilathnior, glaring in her face. "It would probably help you if you had all the correct facts. I'm bringing them to him. I mean, we're both immortal souls, just like everybody else here, but imagine what he could do with those mortal souls!"

Dilathnior knew what Legolas was talking about. They had seen what could happen to mortal souls. They were twisted and deformed into the most powerful servants of their Master... and they would stop at nothing to see his will done. Even the spirits of those who used to be Elves were terrified of them.

Legolas also knew this. "It's corruption of the highest kind..." Suddenly a slight grin curled at the corner of his mouth; not a warm smile, no... this was cold, like ice on a frosty day. "Then there is my sister... I think that's a good deal."

With that, the Elf who was once known for being a hero of Middle-Earth disappeared, all the while mulling over his master plan...

...............................

Tathiel pattered down the cold stone stairs towards her father's chambers. It felt soothing against her hot feet, just like the stars outside were soothing to her soul.

She reached the old oak door and knocked on it lightly. When there was no answer, she rapped harder and called out.

"Ada!"

This evoked a response from King Thranduil. He woke from a deep yet troubled slumber to the voice of his daughter outside. He opened the door.

"Tathiel... did you have another nightmare?" he asked gently.

The young Elf-girl nodded, tears brimming. "It was him again Ada. Legolas was calling me again. He said where he was..."

Thranduil put a light finger to his daughter's lips. "He's gone my sweet." he sighed. "I know it hurts, but you'll have to let him go." Hot tears were also swelling in his eyes.

"I know I do, you've said it before, but I swear Ada, they're real, Legolas really_ is_ calling to me, it's just that nobody will believe me... why won't you believe me Ada?" she sobbed.

Thranduil held his young daughter close, just like he'd held Legolas when he was that age. They were bitter memories- his son ought to still be here. He was a hero of Arda, and to succumb to a fate like that... it was too much to bear.

"What did he say to you?" he inquired softly, hoping to just reassure the youngster that he was there for her and would listen.

"He said that he was in the Shadow Realm..." whispered Tathiel. She was confused when Thranduil shot back, holding her at arm's length, his eyes open wide.

"What did you say?!" he gasped.

"The Shadow Realm. What's wrong?" said Tathiel, brushing away tears in light of this new shock she had obviously caused.

Thranduil was silent for a moment, mulling over this revelation.

He had never told any of his children of the Shadow Realm, the universe where he had banished Saurar to after he willingly murdered another Elf- a young girl, though not as young as Tathiel. Her name had been Dilathnior, a beautiful charming youngster, due to be wed in one year, but the Shadow-Lord had claimed her life and soul... much the same way as he had killed Legolas.

For, in truth, they were not dead.

Only in body. But in spirit, they were very much alive...

On a daily basis they witnessed the tortures of their peers and were forced over to the dark side. What seemed like their own thoughts and devices swam about in their heads, yet they were not really their own, merely thoughts projected into their minds by Saurar in order to make them still feel somehow real. It was a fate worse than death; doomed to wander in the Shadow Realm forever more, never to enter the Halls of Mandos, but to meander like ghosts for the rest of Time.

"No..." Thranduil broke down. "Not my son..."

..........................

Aragorn twiddled the white lily between his fingers. He detested funerals. He had only been to a handful in his life, but he had seen many processions along the white streets in Minas Tirith, the mourners cloaked in deep midnight black contrasting immensely against the stone.

He had never been to the funeral of a close friend. He was unsure of Elven death rites; all he knew was that the reed bed on which the victim was laid was burned on a pyre, sending them back to live in the wind and be amongst the trees, or sail to the Sea on the backs of the birds as their spirit wandered the Halls of Mandos.

He lay the delicate flower between his best friend's hands, now folded tightly across his chest. Even in death, Legolas still looked as ethereal as always. The glow was gone though. That wonderful, incandesant glow that marked life in all Elves.

Heavy footsteps behind him signaled Gimli's arrival into the airy room where their friend now lay in eternal slumber. "I thought, if I didn't come here, it might not be true. That I'd wake up and it would all have been a dream... just a dark, terrible dream..." whispered Aragorn, his voice cracking from the lump that had settled in his throat. He did not look up to acknowledge the Dwarf at all.

"Aye, I thought the same. We cannot just let him go without saying goodbye though, can we? After everything we all did together, that would not be right." sighed Gimli. He sat down next to the King of Gondor.

"He was a stupid Elf, wasn't he?" he blurted suddenly. Aragorn looked up at him at this, confused as how to take it. Instead of the usual grin that normally accompanied such banter, there was instead a deep melancholy expression. In their hearts, they were both replaying the reply that used to accompany that insult.

Yet, in spite of it all, Aragorn found himself smiling. "Yes," he said. "Yes he was. Remember that time in the tavern... he would have made an excellent court jester."

"True, but you would have to get him drunk first." laughed Gimli weakly. The mood of the room returned into them, drawing sighs from them both.

"I miss him."

"As do I."

And they both cried bitter tears over their friend...

An Elf poked his head around the door. There he saw the two friends of his Prince whose body now lay in front of his eyes. He still looked as peaceful and calm in death as he had in life before all the troubles, and it grieved the young messenger greatly to see one who the people of the Elven Kingdom loved so much now cold and pale in the forever wintry grasp of death, lying with ice cold skin in the pale light that filtered into the room, making everything more eerie still.

"My Lords?" he whispered. The pair turned to him.

"Yes?" said Aragorn, his voice dry and cracking under the strain of a lump in his throat that wouldn't shift.

"King Thranduil requests your presence in his hall. He says it is of urgency." said the Elf. Aragorn stood, putting his hand on Gimli's shoulder.

"Come Gimli. We shall return soon. He will not leave." he said sadly, never taking his eyes from the Elven body that lay limply before his eyes.

"He already has." whispered Gimli, never looking up.

Aragorn fell silent with shock. Never before had he heard his Dwarven friend sound so detached and despondent. The pain was easy to hear.

The Dwarf stood, and bearing each other they wandered out of the Hall of Remembrance, leaving Legolas' spiritless self behind...

........................

As Aragorn and Gimli walked into the Great Hall, they saw Thranduil sitting on his throne.

"My Lord?" asked Aragorn, looking up into the crystal blue eyes of his best friend's father. 'Strange,' he thought, 'Legolas is... _was_ so like him.'

Thranduil sighed, and immediately the pair knew that something was greatly troubling the Elven King besides the death of his son. Dark eyes looked at them both painfully.

"What do you know of the Shadow Realm?" he whispered. Gimli and Aragorn thought for a moment.

"I know nothing of it," said Gimli, Aragorn nodding in agreement. Thranduil cleared his throat.

"The Shadow Realm is a blackened world where terror resides. The purest of hearts can be corrupted there, bent towards the foul Evil," he paused, breathing heavily. "I banished Saurar there after he murdered a young She-Elf, as I'm sure you know about by now."

The King and Dwarf nodded, staying silent so as not to interrupt Thranduil.

"Tathiel had a dream in which Legolas came to her. He said that's where he was..."

Aragorn's brow furrowed in doubt. "You do not think this could just be borne of her grief in his passing?" he asked.

"No..." whispered a voice from behind them.

They turned to see little Tathiel standing there, her large blue eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot, Gandalf next to her, a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know what it is I saw. He called me," she sobbed brokenly.

Gimli took a few tentative steps towards the young princess. "I know it's hard, but he is gone-"

"He needs our help!" she cried loudly, not letting the Dwarf finish his well-meaning consoling. More hot tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. "You call yourselves his friends, but he really needs us now and you decide to leave him be!"

"Tathiel!" hollered Gandalf above the young one's noise. His voice softened. "We believe you. I know that you speak the truth."

"How can you be sure Gandalf?" queried Aragorn. If there was a way to bring back his friend, he was willing to try.

"Sit down, all of you, and I shall tell you..." said Gandalf.

................................

"Legolas gave you that necklace, am I correct Tathiel?" asked the wizened Istari.

"Aye," replied the Elfling. "Before we left the Palace, before..." Her throat closed up. "Before..."

"It's all right _ai'ear,_" soothed Thranduil, hugging his daughter close. He wanted to hold her tight and never let her go, lest she come to the fate of his other seven children and his wife. Death had hit this Elf far too many times...    

"I have researched it since your father told me about it. I believe it can be used as a passage, or key into the Shadow Realm. It was created many thousands of years ago, before Saurar was banished. What is needed to make it work are three people with great feelings for the one they are trying to reach; in this case, Legolas. Therefore, I guess the best to send would be Aragorn, Gimli, and Tathiel."

Thranduil's head snapped up. "No!" he barked. Tathiel jumped in his arms. "I will not let you make her go to that dreadful place! I have lost too many already to gamble the life of my only living daughter!" Tears sparkled in his eyes.

"Thranduil," said Gandalf. "She is the bearer of the necklace. She must go."

"No." pressed Thranduil. "I will not let her go!"

"Ada..." whispered Tathiel despairingly. "Please. Let me go. I can do this; if we want Legolas home, then you must let me leave..."

Thranduil's heart was slowly being ripped in two. On the one hand, he had already lost his son to a dark foe yet kept his daughter safe in the warm Palace halls... on the other, a chance to regain his boy yet risking his other child's life. If the worst happened... he could lose them both...

**Well, tell me what you think and I'll try to get a QUICK update done this time!!! **


	3. Changes

**Thanks for all the reviews! =) Sorry for the long update time!!! =S**

**Arayelle Lynn****; Sorry! =S Thanks though! ;-)**

**Kawaii Elf Girl****; YUP! =) hey Knives; if you wanna borrow Evil Legolas, go right ahead... Kogura- just don't point that thing at ME... ;-)**

; Thanks!!!

**Deana****; THANK YOU!!! Fascinating huh? That's a new one; I've had Great, Fab, Cool, and Evil, but never Fascinating... =) Lol; JOKE! I know; I was feeling a bit low when I wrote that scene so I guess some of my thoughts and feeling were being plugged into it. Now I get tears in my eyes whenever I read it again, not only because it's a sad scene, but I remember... BUT I'm happy now!!! Not that that's going to make life any easier for the characters though... =)**

**Dha-Gal****; LOL! I _know_!!! The QuickEdit thing is useful in some ways but in others it's just damn annoying... My Shadow Realm is _completely_ different to Earth and Middle-Earth; it's like Earth's dark opposite. Everything is dead or dying there, and the landscape... well, I'll leave that until they get there for you to read, ok? ;-)**

**Silabrithil****; Thank you!!! No; go ahead and point out mistakes, it improves my writing! =) Ah yes, the whole Tathiel 'Greenleaf' thing again... I'm sorry; I keep forgetting. From now on, you will see no more references as it being a surname!!! ;-) There we go! Thanks for pointing that out!!!**

**Amunet****; I know; I must have put Thranduil through a lot of stress... I feel sorry for the guy actually; imagine going through that?! Makes a good story though... =) Lol; sucking royally, definitely!!! Thanks for reviewing!!!**

**Navaer Lalaith****; Oh, thank you for that! I'll remember it...** **Thranduiliel! ;-) Oh, thanks, but no thanks; Tathiel and Saurar ARE actually Elven names- 'tathiel' is elvish for charity and 'saurar' is one of many words for evil... thanks for the offer though!**** (Plus, it's a little late to go change them... lol!) No hard feelings? ;-)**

**Irish Anor****; Six inch DWARVES? ..................... :- Somehow, I'm unimpressed... DWARVES (!) start attacking Star AIIIIIIIII!!! I BELIEVE!!!!!!!!!!!! I _BELIEVE_!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!! TATHIEL'S NOT A MARY-SUE!!! I'm paranoid about that happening you see; warn me at the first time she starts to become a little TOO perfect, _PLEASE_! ;-)**

**Estel****; Tsk tsk Estel... naughty! Bad!!! YOU HAVE DANNY MCFLY'S PLECTRUM?!?!?!?!?! _YOU_?!?!?! BUT _I_ LIKE DANNY FROM MCFLY!!!!!!!! I _LOVE_ MCFLY!!!!!!!!!!! =( That's it you; no more talking to you....... ............ ........ ok, silence REALLY isn't my thing! Thanks for reviewing though! ... I guess... lol!**

**Anarya****; Ok, so maybe this wasn't _such_ a quick update as I'd expected... sorry! YES, Legolas IS evil!!!!!!!!!!! =) Go on; try writing Fighting the Squirrel... I dare you!!! =)**

**Lainfaer****; Thanks!!!**

**Chels****; Thank you!**

**Astievia****; Ok, here's more for you!!! Lol!**

**Coolio02****; =) And I'm happy that you're happy!!! =) YES! _EVIL_!!! Yup; probably one of the hardest he's ever had to make... I'm cruel to that poor Elf sometimes...**

**Rebel Dreamer****; LOVE the name btw!!! Thank you! looks at pixie stick... stix... whatever it is Sorry; I don't know what they are, are they American? =) Sorry, I just LOVE learning about anything American... I'm from ****London**** you see... I'm sorry I made you cry! But technically that _is_ the aim of the story, so, YAY! ;-)**

**Lexail147****; Lol! Yeah; I update sporadically... I'VE LEARNDED a NEW WORD!!! Lol!**

**Stoneage Woman****; 8-.**** Cold blooded _murder_?! I'm scared... TIGER MOTH? 8-. Oooooo-_kaaaaaay_ then... **

**Randa-Chan****; Yep, I'm really 14! I'm VERY proud of these stories but I'm always working to improve, so I love constructive criticism. Some people find it hard to have their work picked to pieces by others but I actually don't mind – some of the best authors have had to face a lot worse than I have in that term... plus, I don't have a beta reader. Personally I like it better that way; any mistakes are mine and shouldn't be pinned on someone else. I _DO_ want to be an author when I grow up!!! =) It's pretty much my dream!!! Thanks very much for the review!!! ;-)**

**So, now that the reviews are done, the one thing you've all been waiting for... THE CHAPTER!!!**

.: Chapter Three :.

The trees that he wandered under were black and twisted, their hooked branches catching on his already torn and tattered clothing and ripping them even more. Mere shreds were left of his old green Mirkwood tunic, clinging to him only by threads.

Legolas didn't care however. A dark scowl graced his face as he stalked silently through the silent forest. How would he get the others, still alive and breathing, to come to his Master? It would be difficult for the mortals; the crossing could kill them the way he wanted to do it... but if he wanted to be the next Shadow Lord, he would have to overthrow Saurar somehow...

"Greenleaf..."

The spirit of the Elf jumped, his eyes darting around suspiciously for danger he _knew_ was near. Saurar whispered again; this time more forceful and aggressive.

"Greenleaf! Listen to me, _now_!"

Legolas gasped as his vision was suddenly swallowed up by inky blackness...

-=-=-=-

Thranduil sighed, feeling defeated, and looked pleadingly towards Aragorn and Gimli.

"I'm relying on you both now. You get my son back here, keep my daughter safe, and I can guarantee you both that no Elf in Mirkwood will doubt the bravery of either Men or Dwarves again, and I shall be forever in your debt until Eru himself brings about the ending of the world."

Gandalf stared at the Elven King, slightly shocked. "You are allowing Tathiel to go?" he asked.

"Yes," said Thranduil simply. His eyes looked old and weary, and even his immortally young face seemed to have aged. Unsurprisingly, once you remembered how much the Elven King had been through. He then turned to his youngest. "Tathiel..." As he looked into the wide blue eyes, his throat constricted.

Aragorn could sense that Thranduil needed a last moment with Tathiel alone before the journey. Tapping Gimli lightly on the shoulder, he silently indicated towards the door. The pair quietly left the room, followed by Gandalf.

Tathiel watched them leave. "I know Ada," she said. She wrapped her arms around her father's neck and hugged him tightly. "I'll be careful." She broke away silently.

They shared a last lingering look; one wishing to try and help one she loved, the other wondering with despair whether his decision had been the right one. Tathiel headed towards the door, but before she passed through the archway, she turned back to her despairing father.

"I love you," she told him, before disappearing from his view completely around the corner...

-=-=-=-

The colours suddenly whooshed up, twirling and dancing about him. Legolas shut his eyes, but still the intrusive melee of shades invaded his mind.

"Now I know what you're doing..." said Saurar, his voice dark and menacing. A sudden flare of pain made Legolas nearly scream aloud. "And though I don't necessarily appreciate this..."  Again with the lightning bolts of agony... "I reckon that you may be more useful than you look..."

A pitch black shadow suddenly looked out of the colours, consuming all. It was all the Elf could see. It was a darker evil than what was already in the Prince... a demonic spirit with nowhere to go. Now it was taking over Legolas' mind, and there was nothing he could do about it...

As the beast released its hold, Legolas dropped to the dead forest floor, breathing heavily. A thousand noises pounded in his ears, deafening him, before, at last, the colours faded from around him and then there was silence; pure, unsettling silence.

Legolas pushed himself up weakly on his hands. He shook his head slightly. All through him he could feel this new sensation of power, tingling in his fingertips, little zaps of control fleeting all around.

Anyone who would have seen his eyes though would have been terribly afraid. The irises, once a beautiful deep blue, were now blacker than a midnight sky...

-=-=-=-

"Is this safe?"

Gandalf sighed and beckoned Aragorn and Gimli to him. He spoke in a hushed whisper. "It is the safest way there. If Saurar wishes to gain revenge on Thranduil, he may try to take Tathiel to the shadow Realm via a different road; a highly unpleasant one."

They spared glances towards the young Elf, sitting on her own on the stone bench, staring at the floor.

"What can we expect there? Surely this place can't be anything like our world?" asked Aragorn. He wanted to know _anything_ that could put them into danger; anything at all.

Gandalf seemed to drift off for a moment, deep in his thoughts. After a moment, he replied.

"Do not trust anyone there." He paused. "Not even Legolas if you should finally meet up with him there."

Gimli was shocked. "Why not?!" he demanded. Legolas was their best friend- the most trustworthy person either he or Aragorn could bring to mind- why _shouldn't _they trust him?

"Gimli, you must remember that in the Shadow Realm, it is possible to turn _anyone_ into a betrayer, a traitor... even someone like Legolas. I do not know how, but Saurar has now gained possession of a very powerful magic; the ability to control minds yet still make the mind concerned believe it is of their own free will."

Aragorn frowned. "So you are saying that Legolas could be..."

Gandalf nodded. "Yes. He could easily be on Saurar's side, or worse, have plans to control the Dark Side himself!"

Gimli shook his head in denial. "No! Not him, no! Legolas would _never_ do anything like that!"

"I agree," said Gandalf. "But we're not talking about Legolas anymore. He won't the same person that you knew..."

-=-=-=-

A round stone block sat in the exact centre of the round room, carved with intricate patterns that weaved in and out of each other like tapestries. A single shaft of light glowed down onto it, illuminating it and it alone against the darkness of the rest of the room.

"Put the necklace onto the table Tathiel," instructed Gandalf. Her footsteps echoed noisily around the room as she obeyed his instructions.

With a tiny _clink_ as the metal was laid onto the stone, Tathiel stepped back. This was it...

"Now," continued Gandalf. "The three of you; place your hands on the necklace and shut your eyes."

Aragorn placed the tips of his fingers onto the necklace. It was cold under them, almost as though it was unwilling to take part in the magic. Gimli felt the same odd feeling, as did Tathiel. They had no time to dwell on it however as Gandalf began muttering an incantation.

The white glow began in the clasp, spreading along the silvery chain until it found itself at the delicate metal figurine at its base.

The three could feel a surge of energy suddenly ripple through them. Tathiel almost wrenched her hand away, terrified of what might happen, but through a strong will she kept her hand pressed firmly down.

Then, all was plunged into darkness...

**What did you think? YES; Legolas is evil... =) JUST LIKE ME!!!**


	4. Battle Stations

**The Mission Impossible theme tune starts up. In walks Star, new chapter in hand, hoping to place chapter up quietly and hope that people just think they missed an update which happened ages ago. Unfortunately for the said author, hundreds of angry reviewers turn on spotlights, sirens, and release the hounds...**

**Amunet; Lol!**

**The one called Anarya; Thanks! ; ) Sorry I took SO long...**

**Manders1953; Is it? I swear it was the other way round... –feels confused-**

**Mellaithwen; WELL I'M GLAD YOU WERE HAPPY! AND I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY AGAIN!**

**shadowfox8****; Ooh, you've made me go bright red! Yup, Legolas is evil, and he's about to do a VERY EVIL THING in this chapter... sorry I made you wait so long! But I hope you like this chapter...**

**Coolio02; Thanks!**

**Stoneage Woman; Lol! Well, I hope the author alerts are working now...**

**Kyliah; OK!**

**Wren Birgitte; Lol; well, this story is written in order to freak people out! **

**WestieLab****; Thanks!**

**Nessa**** Ar-Feiniel; Ok.**

**TO EVERYONE!**

**I guess I've been caught... yes; it's been a long time, no update, I know, and if I'm honest I'm really rather ashamed of myself... I've been looking over my track record and I've decided that I started too many stories at once, which are still in dire need of completion, and so I've decided to tie up all my loose ends before writing any brand new stories. Hopefully, this means I should be able to get all my current WIPs finished before starting any new fics! ; ) Ok? I only realised HOW long it's taken me to update this by looking at a review reply for the last chapter. I was 14 the last time I put one up. I'm now 15. –hangs head in shame-**

**So, without further delay...**

.: Chapter Four :.

When Aragorn opened his eyes, he was immediately aware that they were no longer in a safe world.

The land looked as though someone had painted it brightly, and then sucked it dry of all life and colour, draining it, leaving only an empty shell of a world and a glimmer of a distant memory. A wispy mist clung to the barren ground, broken only by twisted thorn bushes and clumps of dry brown grass. Everything was grey and cold. Even the sky was a stormy colour, no stars, no moon, and no sun. He couldn't tell what time of day it was.

This was the Shadow Realm.

The former Ranger shivered at the tremendous cold he felt. He could see his breath misting slightly every time he breathed out.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked turning, expecting to see Gimli and Tathiel. Instead, he was filled with utter horror as he realised he was completely alone...

-

Tathiel hesitated as she opened her eyes, not sure whether she wanted to really see this world. As the landscape came into view, she gasped. This was a dead world, a cold world; for an Elf this was sheer hell.

Gimli rose up alongside her and shook his head numbly. "Worse than I thought..." he whispered gruffly. Tathiel simply nodded.

The Dwarf turned to see where their other companion had gotten to and was more than a little alarmed when he realised that Aragorn was nowhere to be seen.

"Aragorn! ARAGORN!"

Tathiel also turned at Gimli's cries. "Where is he! He was right with us!"

Gimli looked about frantically. "We have to find him," he said quickly. "Who knows what's in this blasted place, and now he's away out a-wandering on his own!"

Tathiel tried to think. "Perhaps if we look around, we may find him?" she suggested. Gimli shook his head.

"No lass; look around you! You see how vast this place is! Surely you've heard of the phrase, 'needle in a haystack', aye?"

Tathiel conceded. Gimli was right; they would never find Aragorn that way. After all, it was like her father had always told her; "To head north, south, east and west to find one person would be useless; not only is there but a one in four chance of finding them, but people walk and are curious; they could move on before you find them..."

"Then... what do we do?" she asked, looking at Gimli sadly. In her heart, she knew that should Aragorn encounter the same trials as Legolas had, he barely stood a chance, and that was hurtful indeed. She wanted no-one with such a good heart to go through what her brother had...

Gimli shook his head and sighed heartily. "I... don't know..."

-

Aragorn stumbled across the dead land. As he tripped yet again, he cursed this place. It was almost as if the land was pitching this way and that, forcing him to fall. The mist was a never ending blanket in front of him, rolling along with him and concealing the ground from his view.

He only wanted to find Gimli and Tathiel. Little did he know that he was about to find so much more...

As he took a step forward, having just regained his footing, Aragorn suddenly found himself falling again. The ground had suddenly dropped out from underneath him; the cursed mist had hidden the steep hill from sight.

As he rolled over again and again, Aragorn felt small rocks bite into his skin. The world span, round and round, and he found himself wondering if this would ever end.

Then suddenly, it did. He was left sprawled out on the ground, gasping for air. He felt relatively unhurt, although a little stupid. Staring up at the sky from the position on his back, Aragorn saw nothing; the sky was just a monotonous grey. Dreary, dull grey...

"Hello Aragorn."

Aragorn looked up sharply to see someone standing there whom he had never thought he would see.

"Legolas?" he asked, amazed. A smile broke over his face and he picked himself up from the floor. "You're alright! Come, quickly, we need to-"

"Shut up human," snapped the Elf, cutting him off.

Aragorn's smile disappeared completely; he was stunned. Legolas had never spoken to him like that before; nay, he had never spoken to _anyone_ like that before!

"Legolas?"

And then he remembered Gandalf's words.

_...in the Shadow Realm, it is possible to turn anyone into a betrayer, a traitor... even someone like Legolas. I do not know how, but Saurar has now gained possession of a very powerful magic; the ability to control minds yet still make the mind concerned believe it is of their own free will..._

He couldn't believe it. He had tried so hard to convince himself that the wizened Istari was wrong, that he was mistaken, but in the end it was his own mind and stubbornness that had betrayed him.

Gandalf had been right all along.

Now that he truly understood the situation, Aragorn wondered how he could have been so blindly foolish.

"Because you always have been," said Legolas in a low intimidating voice. Aragorn stared at him.

"How did you know what I was thinking!" he demanded. Legolas smirked.

"It's a rather drab thing, being a spirit, but it has its perks," he said. "Including mind reading. Quite a gift, don't you think?"

As he said this, he drew a wicked looking long knife, the blade of which glinted in some unknown darkened light. He held it up clearly in Aragorn's view. The former Ranger suddenly realised what it was; a twisted parody of Legolas' old white handled knives. This new knife handle was black, as was the blade, and there was only one, but there was no mistaking it.

"Rather pretty, agree?" said Legolas matter-of-factly. "Though it _is_ quite sharp." He laughed, no longer sweet and melodious but cracked and broken, soft and sinister.

Aragorn shook his head, despairing. "I don't want to fight you."

Legolas sighed sarcastically. "It is a shame then, that the feeling _isn't_ mutual!"

With a sudden lunge, he swiped at Aragorn, who in turn managed to draw his sword just in time and parried the blow. The force made him stumble back a little, and Legolas took the opportunity to try and strike again.

The knife left a long slash down Aragorn's sword arm and he hissed with the pain. The blades clashed together and became stuck together, and Legolas leant forward as they both fought against one another; one to attack, the other to defend.

"Give up," he snarled. "This is _my_ world now."

"Why are you doing this!" cried Aragorn. Nothing made sense to him anymore...

Legolas voice dropped to a low whisper, and his eyes narrowed. "_Because I can_..."

-

He watched the scene unfold through the Elf's eyes. It was a magnificent thing to behold; friend attacking friend, and Saurar relished in it. This was what he lived for, what he was willing to _die_ for... the sheer thrill of watching others suffer so.

Dilathnior stood quietly in the corner, awaiting instruction. Saurar had called her to his chamber; a vast dark room that stretched so far in every direction, it seemed that there were no walls at all. She felt a mixed ripple of fear and admiration shoot through her as her lord swept down the stairs of his throne and approached her.

The spirit bowed low before her master. "You sent for me?"

Saurar nodded. "That I did, she-Elf," he said. Clicking the fingernails of his right hand together, he opened his hand, from which smoke began to rise from. The smoke swirled for a moment before taking the form of a young Elf and Dwarf who were trekking along an unseen floor.

"Find them," ordered Saurar. "And bring them here to me. If they are hurt, then so be it... I simply want them alive. Understood?"

"Aye sir. Captured alive."

Saurar nodded. "Good. Now, _go_..."

Dilathnior bowed low again, and disappeared into nothingness. Saurar smiled. The two Elves, Legolas and Dilathnior; they were proving exceedingly useful in his plan. True, they were both severely disillusioned, both bought in their weakened mental states by promises of power, but Saurar knew how to bend them to his will, and so far it was working well.

Once he had the Dwarf and the younger she-Elf, everything would finally fall into place. After all, and it was here that Saurar threw his head back and laughed like a lone wolf howling to the moon, if Legolas _did_ eventually kill Aragorn, and Saurar was eagerly expecting that he _would_, the guilt that would consume the prince if he regained the memory would be enough to kill him, and, as Saurar had already figured out, this would be more than an easy way to quickly get rid of the Elf as well.

"And _then_, Thranduil," thought Saurar. "You will know what _true_ revenge is..."

Saurar smiled to himself. Never before had a plan come together quite so perfectly...

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! -nods- I promise that I'll update a ****LOT**** sooner next time, I swear!**

**Oh; to anyone who's reading another one of my fics, Return to Us the Sun, that was updated quite a while ago, but I think I updated when the author alerts were down which is why I've got only 2 reviews for something which appeared quite popular... if you haven't seen the new chapter, it's up! ; )**


	5. Winner Becomes Loser

**-hands over update- Here's your update guys, now gimme cookies...**

**Lol! I'm kidding! ;-) **

**But seriously, WHERE ARE MY COOKIES?**

**;-)**

**Irish Anor****; lol! Wow, I merit heavenly music! –does a victory dance and bows- Thank you, thank you! Lol! You see now Irish? You've heightened my Inflated Ego and Head Syndrome...**

**Nessa Ar-Feiniel****; I'm glad you said that, I'm trying to make Saurar as sickening as possible, lol! Good point actually; you'll be able to see why Legolas is so grumpy in this and the next few chapters... ;-)**

**Mellaithwen****; GAH! –performs Heimlich Manoeuvre on Amy- DON'T CHOKE SILLY CHILD! If you choke in a review you leave for me, who do you think Jo, our beloved Mother Hen, is going to blame! That's right! ME! Lol... now that you mention it, I really enjoyed writing Legolas that way. It's nice to write him when he's NOT a noble, self-sacrificing person for once. Aye m'dear, you did! Well, I haven't had any weird texts from you... saying that, I haven't had any emails either... :'( You and Jo have left me all alone! Lol, I'm kidding... though saying that, we need to update our story ASAP... oh, and, I think once you see where this starts to go from here, you'll see why I stopped posting this on the CBBC board... I just don't think they're ready for this on there... lol!**

**Stoneage Woman****; Well, I hope this is soon enough for you! I can face Legolas and Aragorn being in mortal peril any day, but ME? Woah ho ho no...!**

**Faerlain****; Lol! Thanks Fae'!**

**ashlyns****; Thanks! Well, I was considering making you beg for the update, but I think I'll be kind and just give it to you... ;-) **

**LATMC****; Lol! I guess that came as a bit of a shock then, yes? ;-) Yes, Legolas is trying to, well, mortally wound Aragorn anyway... –evil grin- Lol; you're just one of many who nearly cried at the end of that story, and I must admit, for writing it about 2 years ago I didn't realise I could be that cruel and heartless! Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of this story too.**

**shadowfox8****; Lol! Seems I have another reviewer who's shocked by this turn of events... I'm glad you enjoyed it though! ;-)**

**TO EVERYONE**

**I've now got a special email address which deals with just stuff to do with fanfiction, which you can find in my bio. So, if you've got fanart, questions about my stories, requests of things you'd like to see me write, or just a request to borrow one of my O/C's, you know where to click! Just remember, IF IT'S NOTHING TO DO WITH FANFICTION/FANART, IT GETS DELETED!**

**OH, AND I MUST ISSUE A BLOOD/VIOLENCE WARNING ON THIS CHAPTER... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED... In other words, this is like, probably the chapter I've been looking forward most to writing... –evil grin-**

**Now, onto...**

.: Chapter Five :.

The sound of metal on metal hissed throughout the small valley. Aragorn stepped backwards, causing Legolas to miss the lunge that would have stuck the black knife up into the human's ribcage.

"This isn't right... we shouldn't be doing this."

He remembered how it used to be...

-

_"You like making this difficult, don't you?" laughed the Elf. The young Ranger simply rolled his eyes and picked himself up off the floor where he had fallen. Once more, Legolas had beaten him in their small practice match._

_"I know you don't realise this, but as a human, it's difficult sparring with an Elf!"_

_Legolas smiled. "It wouldn't be difficult if you were paying attention."_

_"Ah ha ha," said Aragorn flatly. "Stop Legolas, my sides are splitting."_

_"Am I going to have to drag you back to Lord Elrond again?" asked Legolas, setting his knife in his weapons harness. "Because believe me, it was hard enough the last time; next time I want you to _warn_ me before you go collapsing..."_

_"That wasn't my fault!" said Aragorn defensively._

_"Fine," said Legolas. "Perhaps catching the cold wasn't your fault, but not telling anybody, _was_. Coming with me on the hunting trip when you knew you were ill, _was_. Saying you were fine when I asked how you felt, _w_-"_

_"Enough!" interrupted Aragorn. Legolas smiled, satisfied that he'd won this little banter. It was another one to add to his total. _

_"Come along," he said, removing an arrow from his quiver. "I'm quite sure that Elladan requested that I show you how to shoot straight after beating you at sword work!"_

_Aragorn gaped at him. "Shoot straight? SHOOT STRAIGHT!" He bristled, folding his arms. "I'll show you who can't shoot straight!"_

_With that, the two friends walked under the trees of Rivendell, laughing as they went..._

_-_

Suddenly the punch caught him in the face, and Aragorn found himself flying backwards, landing on his back in a daze.

Legolas gripped his knife in his hand, kneeling over Aragorn. He placed the tip of the blade just underneath his old friend's chin, pushing upwards ever so slightly. A tiny spot of blood trickled from the slight cut.

"It's a shame," he said, sneering. "I had expected a bit more of a challenge." He smirked.

Aragorn curled his fingers into a fist.

Legolas quirked an eyebrow. "Any last words?"

Hundreds of thoughts rushed through Aragorn's mind in one split second.

_He's changed..._

_He's not the person you knew..._

_You can't trust him..._

_You never could..._

_HE'S NOT YOUR FRIEND..._

With a roar, Aragorn brought his fist up with great speed, punching Legolas in the jaw and throwing the Elf off of him.

"Aye!" he shouted, picking his sword up off the ground where it lay. "If you're going to kill someone, do it, don't stand there talking about it!"

Legolas looked up at him, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Oh, _how_ original..." And suddenly he was up again, knife in hand. With a roar, Legolas ran at Aragorn, weapon raised.

Aragorn whispered a quiet "I'm so sorry..." before thrusting his sword directly in front of him at the last minute. Legolas had no chance of moving out of its way...

-

Tathiel shivered. There was a dark cloaking shadow here, and no sun, and the endless shadows made her cold.

But wait... there was something else... something more...

"Gimli..." she whispered. "I think there's something here!"

Gimli frowned. Years of friendship with Legolas had taught him never to doubt the instincts of an Elf. "Any ideas?"

Tathiel shook her head. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it's-"

Suddenly a dark shadow knocked them both to the ground. A cackling laughter shook the air, and suddenly the cold about them became almost unbearable.

The dark smoke-like shadow swirling into a column before forming into the shape of a young She-Elf. Dilathnior giggled manically.

"Well... it wasn't so hard to find you two!"

She swooped at them both, intent of capturing them and taking them back to Saurar. Grabbing Tathiel by the wrist, she grinned as her plan began to work.

Tathiel struggled like a wild animal; as she did, her necklace slipped out from under her collar and into the dark She-Elf's view. As she caught sight of the necklace, Dilathnior's expression changed to one of horror. "H-how!" She screeched loudly, and Tathiel covered her ears.

Dilathnior began to revert back into smoke and disappeared, screeching "Master! MASTER!" as she did...

-

The sword cut into Legolas' abdomen, a clean cut straight into him. Legolas cried out and hissed, closing his eyes tightly.

Aragorn was paralysed. He simply stood, wide eyed and open mouthed. He had stabbed his own friend... _killed_ his own friend...

Legolas' eyes suddenly snapped open, and he glared at Aragorn furiously. Reaching forward, he grabbed Aragorn's hands which were still clinging to the hilt of the sword and pulled forward.

The sword slid into him further as he walked forward. Aragorn almost choked on a gasp as the sword exited out of Legolas' back. It was a through and through wound. Blood pumped out of the Elf from both sides, and Aragorn found himself shaking. How could Legolas still be standing!

Legolas leaned in close to him.

"Aragorn... _you can't kill someone who's already dead_..."

With that, the Elf plunged his own knife deep into Aragorn's chest. The air was shoved out of the human in a short gasp.

Letting go of his own sword, Aragorn stumbled back, clutching numbly at the knife which was stuck in his chest. Legolas remained standing where he was, smiling calmly, though in his eyes the mists of insanity swirled.

"Don't panic..." he said quietly. "The poison will prevent your death... for now anyway."

Aragorn fell to his knees. He could feel something radiating from the knife and beginning to work around his system almost instantly. He had to get the blade out! Grasping the hilt of the knife, Aragorn pulled.

The blade snapped off, remaining inside him. The hilt dropped from Aragorn's hand as the burning sensation suddenly increased ten-fold. Darkness crept into his vision as Legolas approached him again.

Legolas caught Aragorn's chin in his hand and forced the human to look up at him.

"Don't worry my friend..." he said darkly. "You'll feel different in the morning..."

With that, Aragorn's eyes rolled back and he fell into a dead faint...

**Ooh! NOW we've started with the evil stuff... tell me what you think! Somehow, I think Legolas has lost all the sympathy he'd been getting... lol!**

**OH, AND... if anyone can pick up the movie reference in this chapter, I'll give you something special... ;-)**


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